


Shape of Dream

by centipatch



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Living Together, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Victor Nikiforov, Russian Mafia, Supernatural Elements, Yuuri's glasses are just for show, the trio live together as family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-10-01 03:12:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10179386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/centipatch/pseuds/centipatch
Summary: For Yuuri, coincidence feels like a dream, changing the shape of his future. For Viktor, it’s like a strike of lightning, a gate to a forthcoming storm. For Yuri, it’s like a medicine, taste bitter but with a promise of healing.(—or the Mythical Creatures AU where the underground organizations are hungry for power, turning to hunt the creatures the front society only dismissed as a ‘myth’ in order to climb higher in rank. Well, it’s not as dark as it sounds, believe me.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> How it reached 7k is an even bigger mystery than Cao Bin.

 

**November 29, 20XX**

It was a _coincidence_. _There_ just happened to be a screeching sound of a braking truck and loud crashing, _he_ was just happened to fly nearby, and a _boy_ happened to be lying down there on the asphalt with blood forming a river under his head. He maneuvered to the nearest branch and decided to observe the tragedy; the boy—the victim of the accident—reflected in his black-pearl-shaped orbs. More and more people approached the scene, some were calling ambulance and police, and some were whispering pity and relief that it wasn’t their kids who got hit. The truck driver ran away the moment he saw the boy’s condition but he got a feeling it wouldn’t be long before he got caught.

Of all the noises and voices, he was focusing on the boy’s heartbeat. It was weak, so weak, so pitiful. _He won’t make it_. To anyone there, the raven perching on a tree in a backyard was as invisible as the air. With every second passed by, the boy’s heartbeat was growing weaker and weaker, and when it stopped completely he could see a sphere of soft light coming out of the boy’s rigid chest.

Everything was all coincidence. There happened to be an empty body, and he happened to be exhausted from avoiding hunters all the time. He knew this was bad but it was the only thing he could think of at the moment. He needed to _hide_ , completely and immediately. He pushed his body slowly, black wings spreading wide, and he took off to where the boy was. As soon as he was close enough to the body, he shifted his shape to black smoke and dove right into the boy’s slightly parted mouth.

_Yuuri Katsuki… so, that was your name._

The heart which turned silent had started to beat again, slowly and steady.

_It is a good name, may I borrow it for a while?_

The chest that turned rigid had remembered how to take in air again.

_I am sorry… and thank you._

Maybe it really was a coincidence after all. Something he thought as a chance too good to be true, to live as a human. To live as _Yuuri Katsuki_.

 

///

 

**13 years later**

“Yu~uri,” the playful drag of the name and the feathery touch on his cheek made the owner of said name stir in his sleep. “It’s time to wake up”. It was a whisper this time, lips so close to his ears he could feel warm breath ghosted over his ear, his skin. Yuuri mumbled something close to “ten more minutes” as he pulled the blanket over his head, earning him amused chuckles from the other man.

“Yuuri,” the man tried again; beautiful and slender fingers nestled on a mop of black hair as they began stroking lazily. Yuuri only hummed in return, not wanting to give up the comfort of his bed anytime soon. The other man pulled the blanket to reveal some of Yuuri’s face before playfully biting his earlobe; the feel of the soft pair of lips was a good distraction. He was suddenly aware of the weight of the other man’s arm draped over his blanketed body. “Yuuri, do you know,” he heard the whisper as a few strands of silver hair fell on his cheek; the ticklish sensation forced a little smile to form on its own. “It’s less than 30 minutes to your morning class.”

When the information fully registered on his head, Yuuri jolted to full consciousness and shot up to a sitting position, bumping his head into something along the way. “Viktor! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!” Rubbing the sore spot on his head, Yuuri searched for his glasses and phone in a panic. He put on his blue half-rim glasses after frantically reached for the nightstand, and immediately snatched the phone as if his life was on the line though he nearly dropped it as his fingers only managed to hold onto its edge at first; blue hard case with poodle pattern was gripped tightly as the phone screen flashed to life. Yuuri’s expression shifted from flustered to unreadable as soon as he read ‘07:00 AM’ and immediately turned his gaze to the man who was lying next to him. His morning class started at 09:00 AM.

“Viktor… I’m really mad here.” Yuuri frowned with his lips jutting out into a pout. Holding the cheek Yuuri’s head bumped into, Viktor chuckled with layers of affection reflected in his vibrant, crystal-clear blue eyes framed with long, beautiful eyelashes that seemed to fall like a delicate curtain every time he closed his eyes. Side-parted hair which was as white as snow languidly followed each movement his head made, casting a shadow over high cheekbone and perfectly-sculptured jaw that could make even the Greek gods jealous.

“Mm-hmm, indeed you are,” He said in response to Yuuri’s threatening frown; chocolate brown eyes still had a shade of red from lingering drowsiness behind the lenses. Before Yuuri could sulk even more, Viktor pressed his palm against the back of Yuuri’s head and pulled the latter close to him as Viktor himself leaned in and kissed the pouty lips. “My reward for waking you up, Sleeping Beauty.”

“It should have been the other way around, you silly.” The pretense of sulking didn’t last long under Viktor’s bright and hoping stare; the smile on Yuuri’s lips found its way back. He pushed the hinge of his glasses upward so they settled on the top of his head and then circled his hands around Viktor’s neck as he leaned in for a kiss again, feeling the smile on the other man’s lips as their bodies were pressed together; bare chest glued to cobalt blue pajama, adding more creases than it already had from Yuuri’s sleeping posture. Moments later, he was on Viktor’s lap, chuckling lightly as Viktor nipped his bottom lip.

Kisses, caresses, and sweet talks were given to each other. This was something they did every morning as if it was some sort of compulsory ritual. Viktor took Yuuri’s right hand on his before planting a kiss right on the gold band that crowned Yuuri’s ring finger; it was the perfect match to the glistening gold one Viktor was wearing. It was always an endearing sight, Yuuri thought; too much adoration and happiness made his chest tightened into pleasant heartburn. He turned Viktor’s hand around to do the same; lips tasted gold, the symbol of their devotion.

He could feel Viktor’s left hand slipped in his pajama shirt, caressing his back in a random pattern; the other man’s slightly colder temperature felt so good on his heated skin. But, physical contact was not the only thing that sent him over the moon. Yuuri totally loved basking himself under Viktor’s gaze, he loved seeing his own reflection in those blue eyes; it made him feel special like Yuuri was the only thing existed in Viktor’s world. So, he glued their foreheads together for a momentary bliss. Viktor seemed to understand because he didn’t break eye contact before Yuuri did, and when the man on his lap briefly closed his eyes Viktor took the chance to peck Yuuri’s nose which made the owner burst into a fit of giggles.

Yuuri pecked Viktor’s cheek in return, but when the other man captured his lips again for long, pleasurable kiss, Yuuri _melted_. He didn’t even realize that he pushed himself even closer to Viktor, and the latter pulled him in a tight embrace at the same time. He felt the blood rising to his face as the kiss deepened, and when Viktor ground their hips together Yuuri couldn’t help but moaning into the kiss. He took a fistful of Viktor’s hair as he let himself be intoxicated, drowned in the heat and Viktor’s scent.

When the need of air reached the brain, they pulled apart while looking at each other with hooded eyes. Their foreheads met again as they tried to catch their breaths; shades of red painted both faces as the chests heaved, desperately inviting the air in. Yuuri didn’t know who started it, but they ended up giggling through heavy breathings. He felt Viktor’s fingers caressing his cheek as an invitation for another kiss, but then there was barking from the slightly opened door and a poodle rushed in before jumping on their bed without warning.

“Makkachin!” Yuuri cried out brightly when the poodle gave him good morning licks; the tongue assault got giggles out of him as he wrapped a hand around Makkachin, the poodle. Makkachin was used to be only Viktor’s but then the poodle became theirs, given that Yuuri was—is—Viktor’s fiancé. The said man was looking at them fondly, blue eyes tried to carve every detail of the lovely sight onto his brain until Makkachin pushed his weight onto Yuuri and the black-haired man toppled over to his bare chest.

Yuuri gave the over-excited poodle a rub on the face and a peck between the eyes, “yes, yes, good morning to you too.” Satisfied with that, Makkachin then gave Viktor the same treatment who in return licked the poodle back and whined when Makkachin’s fur got in his mouth, earning him something akin to a dog smile. Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Yes, this was Viktor Nikiforov, a 27-year-old Russian man who became his fiancé since two months prior.

Viktor was an author of a few best-selling light novels under the pen name ‘Katsuo Masaru’ whom Yuuri admired so much since his middle school days. They met a year and a half prior in Hasetsu, a small and peaceful town located in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, which was also Yuuri’s hometown. At that time, Viktor was visiting a friend of his family in hopes of finding inspiration for his next work. Meanwhile, Yuuri was still working at the last remaining hot springs resort in Hasetsu, Yu-topia Katsuki, which ran by his family because he couldn’t afford to pay for college.

Somehow, through coincidence, Viktor had taken a liking to his family hot springs resort in which he told Yuuri that it helped him relax and also cleared his mind. It turned out that Viktor had lived in Hasetsu before, during his student days. As for the reason of why he moved to Japan, Yuuri only knew that Viktor’s parents died in a tragic accident. Having no relative to turn to, young Viktor was taken in by said family’s friend (who also happened to be Yuuri’s art teacher) until he graduated from middle school. After that, Viktor moved to Tokyo and lived in a dorm provided by a private high school he got into through scholarship.

Yuuri admitted he was quite surprised and amazed hearing Viktor speaking in fluent Japanese the first time they met; the accent was still there, but nevertheless it was good. After knowing that Yuuri was also good in English, Viktor was beyond delighted because sometimes, he forgot the right Japanese term to use, especially when he was out of it. Thus, up until the present, they still liked to switch between Japanese and English quite a lot.

“I think we should get up and fix breakfast, or Yurio would be so pissed,” Yuuri grinned up at Viktor; hands were still playing with Makkachin’s face, pulling and cupping while the poodle sat obediently.

“Yuuri, Yurio is _always_ pissed.” Viktor reminded him with amusement laced in his tone. Yuuri nudged him with his shoulder but a hint of a smile in the corner of his lips proved that he agreed. He felt a hand snaked around his waist before receiving a chaste kiss that caused giggles to bubble up and the corner of his eyes crinkled as the joy spread across his expression.

Makkachin hopped off the bed after Yuuri patted his back, understood that it was feeding time. The poodle was running in a circle for a brief moment before he disappeared behind the door. Yuuri fixed his glasses, straightened his pajama shirt, and flattened his disheveled hair while Viktor put on sweatpants and black t-shirt on before they followed Makkachin out to the kitchen with bunny and bear slippers warming their feet.

“So, are you guys done being gross? Can we have breakfast now?” A pair of green eyes were watching both him and Viktor with a certain amount of grumpiness. Wait, scratch that. Just a green eye as the other one was hiding behind soft, golden locks that almost reached down to the owner’s mouth. Sitting on a kitchen counter next to the blond were two mugs of hot tea steaming at the teen’s elbow, big letters of blue-colored Y and pink-colored V adorned the surface of the respective white porcelains. Meanwhile, the tiger-printed white mug contained suspiciously of milk was raised to lips level as the grumpy teen took a sip.

“Good morning, Yurio,” Yuuri chirped out as he rubbed one of his eyes to get the sleepiness out of his system; the blue half-rim glasses were lifted ever so slightly as the hinge met with the back of Yuuri’s hand. “Oh, whoaa! Did you make us tea? Thank you so much!” Yuuri made a little run over to the grumpy teen who was huffing and casting his gaze down to his mug to cover a tint of pink which made its way to his cheeks. He carefully took the mug with blue Y on it with both hands and relished in the warmth that slowly slipped through his skin.

“Really? Wow! Papa and daddy are so proud!” Viktor curiously peeked from behind Yuuri’s shoulder and grinned widely his lips took a shape of heart; chin rested comfortably on the soft fabric that smelled so much of Yuuri and laundry detergent.

“Who the fuck are papa and daddy?! Also, it’s not like I made it especially for you idiots! You guys took so long smooching the fuck outta each other, so I was bored with nothing to do!” The blond teen spat out, ears and cheeks were painted with red as he sent death glare to Viktor. Yuuri grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck as he muttered, “Sorry”.

The angry teen huffed as he walked over to the dining table and pulled a chair out to take a seat, putting his mug with a bit of force Yuuri prayed that there was no crack on the glass. He shook his head in amusement and smiled over how easy the teen, namely Yuri Plisetsky, was to provoke.

Yuri first came to live with them in their shared apartment in Shinjuku five months prior, with Viktor suddenly received a call from someone named Yakov. Yuuri couldn’t pick up what they were talking about since it was in complex Russian, and since he only knew the basic greetings and Russian names, what Viktor said were more or less like a buzzing of a bug in his ears. Besides, for some reason, Viktor moved to another room when he took the call with back hunching and tone all serious as if he was negotiating something Yuuri should not get involved in.

The next day, a teenager with blond hair at neck’s level and flames in his eyes was at their door, carrying lion stuffed toy and his bulky luggage. His expression that time was a mixture of confusion and high alert, causing something to pull at his heartstrings which Yuuri recognized immediately as pity. Whatever the boy had gone through, it must be so tough.

_“Is this the residence of Viktor Nikiforov?”_ Yuri had asked, judging him from head to toe in a piercing gaze that could cut diamonds. Yuuri awkwardly let him in, informing the unexpected guest that Viktor was going to a nearby convenience store and would be back shortly. Moments after, Viktor returned as expected (soaked in sweat and breathing heavily like he was just running miles) and he gave Yuuri a vague explanation about Yuri, saying that due to family circumstances, his acquaintance asked him to be a temporary guardian for the boy and that Yuri would be staying with them starting that day.

Yuuri gave him a curt nod and the best plastic smile he could offer because after all, Viktor was always so bad at hiding things that didn’t directly involve himself. So, he made an exception and let it slide, going along with the seemed-to-be last minute excuse Viktor came up with. He could kind of connect the dots, though, from Yuri’s cautious behavior to Viktor’s slightly flustered expression that whatever the real reason was, it was an unavoidable emergency.

The first week of living with additional family member was hard if Yuuri had to admit. Not only did he have to explain his and Viktor’s habits to Yuri so he could adapt and vice versa, he also had a hard time dealing with Yuri’s moods and manner. Yuri even called him ‘piggy’ after he accidentally saw the copies of his old photographs his mother sent for Viktor (for personal collection, or so his fiancé had explained with a cheerful grin as warm as the sunshine). But, behind the tough exterior and explosive anger, Yuuri knew that Yuri was actually a caring and hard-working kid. He diligently worked to improve his Japanese and memorized more kanji characters, in which Yuuri not-so-secretly helped him by opening his notebook to see Yuri’s progress and leaving notes in the part the Russian teenager got wrong or left blank because he didn’t quite understand.

After Yuuri found out about the Russian teenager’s adoration for cats and big cats, he bought tiger and lion printed t-shirts online with the salary of his part-time job as some kind of experiment (Viktor rudely named it the project to tame the little tiger of Russia). Much to his delight, the project was a success. Yuri’s expression brightened with a blush on his cheeks as he admired the fierceness of both the lion and tiger on the tees; there was no smile but his mouth was forming a surprised and amazed ‘o’ with both eyes widened and sparkled which Yuuri took as a form of happiness.

Since then, Yuri became more open in asking him for help in his Japanese study, and the latter also changed Yuuri’s nickname from ‘piggy’ to ‘katsudon’ which was Yuuri’s and Viktor’s favorite Japanese food, and for some reason, it became Yuri’s too when both of them dragged him to visit Yuuri’s family in Hasetsu. Karma came after Yuri when Yuuri’s sister, Mari, saw him for the first time and decided to give him a nickname too—‘Yurio’, inspired by her favorite band member. Viktor had laughed so hard upon hearing it and immediately followed Mari’s lead to avoid confusion. Yuuri did too because it felt weird calling other with the same name he was given.

“So, what do you guys want for breakfast?” Yuuri casually asked with his back facing the two Russians as he eyed the inside of their fridge. His brows furrowed as his gaze landed on the eggs, contemplating on the options of the dishes he could make out of them. Yuuri’s right hand rested on the fridge door, automatically putting all of his weight on his right foot, while his left hand perched on his hipbone which made Viktor freely snake his arms around his waist.

“I’d love to have omurice, please.” Viktor gave his cheek a loving peck and proceeded to nuzzle his nose onto the base of Yuuri’s neck. “And please, please, write ‘love Vitya’ on it.” Yuuri snorted and patted his fiancé’s head in a habit encouraged reflex rather than something obligatory. “I need to recharge myself with Yuuri’s love as much as possible to continue my manuscript.” The latter added with a whine in the last syllable.

“Ew, stop being gross. It reduces my life battery percentage by 40%!” Yuri shouted from behind as he stopped fixing his _gakuran_ just to send a scowl their way and faked a gag. Yuuri chuckled in amusement before placing a kiss on the corner of Viktor’s mouth as an OK to Viktor’s earlier request with additional urging, “Go drink your tea before it gets cold and feed Makkachin, you silly.”

This morning routine, Yuuri thought, was something he wouldn’t trade for any gold.

 

///

 

Classes were over hours ago and Yuuri walked out of the shop that sold all kinds of art-related things with two bags full of art supplies; satisfied expression plastered on his face. It was a good thing that he had a little saving before quitting the part-time job two weeks before, part of the reason was because he was flooded with projects, solo and group, and both had short deadlines to turn in. But, mostly it was because he had too little time to actually do the things he loved, cuddling with Viktor was one of them which made him hear constant whining from said Russian.

Viktor had insisted, though, that he would buy anything Yuuri needed and wanted, but Yuuri didn’t want it that way. He didn’t want to leech off Viktor. Well, the Russian did pay for his college tuition but at least, he wanted to buy his personal stuff with his own pocket money, from his pure hard work. But then, his part-time jobs never lasted for long as they always crashed with the time to do college projects. He took it as a sign of giving up when his mind started to imagine an unlikely secret conspiracy between his professors and Viktor, doing everything they could to stop him from being semi-independent. Oh, well, he still could start another one next semester.

He huffed into the comforting warmth of early spring where some of the cherry blossoms shyly greeted, still in preparations for their peak. Viktor had called before to apologize many times because he couldn’t accompany him shopping due to his editor’s constant nagging to finish his manuscript. Yuuri only laughed it off and urged him to go back to work; the line ended after Viktor’s another sorry that he had to turn off his phone to be able to concentrate. His fiancé was always like that, pouring him with undivided attention and affection that never failed to leave butterflies in Yuuri’s stomach. Regardless of whether he deserved them or not, he knew he couldn’t fight the _craving_.

Yuuri smiled fondly as he contemplated over what to buy for Viktor and Makkachin that were stuck at home all day. Cakes should be good, they could eat them together with Yuri too. He halted as realization struck him; the shopping bags swayed to a stop. He looked around and remembered that the location he was at was close to Yuri’s school. He tilted his head, not too sure if the idea of coming to pick up the Russian teenager was good. Yuri would probably kick him, saying that Yuuri was too nosy. But at this hour, the Russian teenager should still be doing club activity, and since Yuri never told any of them what kind of club he was in, Yuuri was curious. Thus, the first thing to do when he was curious was to find out for himself.

 

///

 

The curiosity soon turned into dread as he stood frozen in front of the school gate which was only one step away. His chest hurt as if there was pressure from an invisible wall. It was weird. Indeed, the school was over but the emptiness he met immediately was worrisome. Was there no club activity at all?

Chewing his bottom lip as he struggled to stay calm, Yuuri forced his unwilling legs to come inside. He balled his hands into fists, fighting the tremble that came out of nowhere. It wasn’t fear, he knew. It was more like a warning, his senses could feel it. The only force that drove him to check the school closer was his will to find Yuri, so he took one deep breath to clear his mind and tried to remember which one Yuri’s classroom was.

As soon as he entered the building, Yuuri’s ears vaguely caught something. A voice, but it didn’t seem like talking to anyone particular. There was no rising or falling of a tone someone would use when engaged in conversation. It was too one-sided. Yuuri went to the hall, not bothering to change his shoes first. Looking around and moving closer to the wall as to not alert whoever was making that voice. He took the stairs, two at a time, but careful enough so that his shoes didn’t make any squeaking noise.

Yuuri stealthily made his way to Yuri’s classroom, ducking his head whenever he had to pass by windows. He slowly opened the sliding door to a little gap for his eyes to peek. Empty. Well, Yuuri kind of expected that, but it was still disappointing. He pushed the door with more force and let himself in, checking behind the teacher’s desk just in case.

The strange voice was louder there and he moved closer to pick up any word. His suspicion was proven true. Yuuri thought it was impossible at first, but as the recognition struck him, everything seemed to make sense. The repetitive words were forming a melody, the kind that could enthrall people easily. It reminded him of wind, always hugging the sea like an old mischievous friend that often sends Poseidon to his raging wrath. On the contrary, the voice—the silky smooth voice with a bite of ocean depth carried venom in the form of a language a mere mortal wouldn’t know, hiding behind the sweetness of false serenity.

He leaned on the wall beside the opened window, feeling shivers ran up his spine. Yuuri knew who, or in this case, what could produce such a beautiful voice. He just didn’t expect to find one _there_ of all places. The tale about it was told by sailors, easily spread and became a word of mouth—a story about the Muses of the Underworld that lured those unfortunates with their irresistibly sweet calling of a song and brought them to the great shipwreck and inevitable death.

_Sirens_.

As one of the most dangerous _Fairy types_ , nothing could escape their charm, with the exception of berserkers and other _fairies_. Without a doubt, the students must be getting enchanted and followed the song to where the male siren was. Probably, Yuri was too.

Yuuri pressed his palm against his chest and took a deep breath to calm himself; the anxiety pushing from inside was almost overwhelming. His surrounding looked like stirred liquid as he started to feel disconnected from the real world. The white ceiling became farther and farther away Yuuri had to slap his own cheeks to keep himself on the ground. It was suffocating, Yuuri thought, he didn’t know the best thing to do.

His option was limited and he didn’t know anyone in particular that could be helpful in that situation. Yuuri closed his eyes momentarily before retreating silently from the window, closing the door as quietly as possible before heading to the stairs. Following the source of the voice was like approaching his doom willingly, so at least, he needed to observe first in a close range.

He hated that no matter how many times he tried to stay calm, his heart kept beating faster like it was going to burst. Yuuri chose a different path than when he first came in, the one that was heading toward the back part of the school. He was walking on a darker corridor when a hand covered his mouth from behind, taking him by surprise, and he was pulled toward the social study preparation room.

The door was closed with a click sound, welcoming him to the room with no light. In his defense, Yuuri managed to elbow the suspicious person, hitting a soft part of the body—most probably stomach.

There was a loud groan, and when he turned around to land more attacks, Yuuri’s eyes went wide with recognition. “What the fuck, _Katsudon_?! It’s me, me!” Yuri sent him a glare that could kill whilst rubbing the sore spot on his stomach. The blond hair was a real mess; some sweaty strands stuck to his face.

“Yurio!” was all Yuuri could say before he pulled Yuri into a tight hug; hands were trembling as if he was not sure if it was real or his mind only played a trick on him. “You’re alright… I thought…you.” He didn’t finish the sentence, feeling the ache in the back of his eyes which was a sign of tears.

The Russian teenager sighed before hesitantly put his awkward hands on Yuuri’s back. “Of course I am, idiot.” Yuuri felt a pat which was Yuri’s attempt at comfort and made him tighten the hug. It was a rare occasion, to think that the teenager finally let Yuuri hug him without any complaint. He wanted to laugh, he probably would if not for the situation they were in.

Yuuri pulled back and observed Yuri; glossy eyes checked for any injury but found none. “But, if you’re here”, he said hesitantly, “that means you’re…”

_Not human_ , Yuuri wanted to say but he left the sentence unfinished again. Both of his hands were resting on the teenager’s shoulders as the owner immediately avoided looking him in the eyes. Eyebrows were drawn together into a frown before Yuri answered vaguely, “Uhh, well… it’s a long story.”

“But anyway,” Yuri shrugged his hands away, still refused to look at Yuuri. “We’re still in a deep shit. If you have any question about me, save it for later.”

Yuuri opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again as confusion birthed too many questions on his mind. But Yuri was right, there was something more important to make clear. “Then, can I ask what happened?”

The Russian teenager gave his back to him, delaying his answer momentarily. Yuuri heard him exhale before Yuri spat the word like venom, “ _Exquire_.”

His eyebrows rose questioningly, “Huh?”

“Exquire, they like to call themselves seeker of truth, but in reality, they’re just fucking cold-blooded murderers. Very ambitious, cunning bastards who always get what they want by any means necessary.” Yuri’s fists trembled in very visible anger. “They are targeting creatures like us!”

Yuuri swallowed the lump in his throat, stepping back on autopilot until his back hit the door. The memories of escaping from hunters came to him like a storm. His fingers were clawing the surface of the door as anxiety showered him with more what ifs. Yuuri hated this.

“So, if you want to get out of here alive—“ Yuri turned around to face him, immediately realizing that Yuuri’s face went pale. “Hey… _Katsudon_ , are you alright?!” The Russian teenager hurried to his side, shaking his shoulder with worry written all over his face.

“ _Katsudon_ , hey! _Katsudo_ —Yuuri Katsuki, listen to me!” Yuri half-shouted whilst slapping Yuuri’s cheeks with both hands. The sting brought Yuuri back to his senses as he gazed straight at the flames in Yuri’s eyes; mouth agape and shoulders fell slack. “You want to get out of here alive, don’t you?” It was a rhetorical answer, but Yuuri nodded nonetheless.

“Then, listen to me! Get a grip on yourself, dumbass!” The Russian teenager retreated his hands after Yuuri’s shock dissipated a bit. “I don’t even know why you’re here. I called Viktor earlier but the geezer turned off his damn phone so why the fuck you’re here instead?!”

Yuri put a hand on his face whilst frustration ate him alive. “But, let’s not talk about that for now.” He then raised his head to meet Yuuri’s gaze. “ _Katsudon_ , they’re taking the students and teachers as hostages. They threatened if I don’t come out by an hour, they will kill all of them.” Yuri paced around, and when Yuuri was about to say his opinion, he added, “No use calling the police, they have money and power to cover up for their crimes so don’t even think about it.”

“There’s only fifteen minutes left. So, _Katsudon_ … I want you to get out of here unnoticed just like when you came in and get Viktor to help, tell him they have a siren on their side.” Yuri pointed his index finger at him; determination could be found on his expression and tone.

“But Yurio, what about you?” Yuuri asked carefully. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like the answer.

It was proven true.

“I’ll stay behind, surrender myself to them.”

His eyes went wide as anger started to boil inside of him. “No, you won’t!”

“We have no choice! I’ll try to buy more time so you can get Viktor to help me, don’t worry.” The calm in Yuri’s tone was supposed to be some sort of reassurance, but it didn’t help much.

“No! No, you can’t—you can’t do that!! Are you seriously trying to get me to leave you behind?!” Yuri’s firm gaze was the only thing that answered him. Yuuri grew quiet, not because he gave in. He brought his eyes to the floor as his mind tried to find another solution. Another method he could accept.

“If you get it, then don’t waste any more time. We gotta hurry.” Yuri turned his back on Yuuri again and walked to the window, peeking to check for any sign of danger. When there was no response from Yuuri, the Russian teenager shifted his gaze, ready to scold, only to be surprised when Yuuri approached him with determined steps. “Oi, _Katsudon_ , didn’t you hear what I said?!”

“I heard it,” Yuuri’s brown eyes met Yuri’s green ones. For some reason, the Russian teenager flinched as their gazes locked. “I heard it, but I _dislike_ it.”

“Huh?! What are you say—“

“Sorry, Yurio.” Yuuri took off his glasses, “But I have to do this.” When his hand touched Yuri’s shoulder, his pupils shrunk to slits like a cat. In just a few seconds, Yuri’s eyes closed as sleep consumed him. Yuuri’s hands caught him before the teenager fell as he slowly lowered him to the floor.

“I think you should be the one to get Viktor.” As he said that, his body size shrunk to a smaller one, making the clothes he was wearing feel like it grew in size instead. Meanwhile, his hair color became paler until it stopped to golden with length reached neck level. Brown eyes also shifted to green with long bangs covering his right one.

“And I’m the one who will meet them.”

Same face, same eyes, same hair, same body. His Yuri shapeshifting was complete.

 

///

 

Yuuri walked to the gym where the song could be heard the loudest with Yuri’s _gakuran_ clung to his body—a perfect fit. He had been concealing his presence and reducing the density of his scent to a minimum—so it could be overwhelmed by other scents in his surrounding—since the first time he came in through the gate. With that, the chance that the Exquire knew his identity was very small. He _could_ do this.

He dragged his unwilling feet to get closer to the door whilst trying not to overthink and end up leaving Yuri for real. Yuuri was scared, but the thought of guilt and self-hatred, if he followed his instinct to just escape, was even scarier. Besides, just like Yuri’s original plan, if he could buy enough time until Yuri wakes up and gets to Viktor, it would be okay. It was pretty naïve, he knew, but at least this method was acceptable.

Stopping just a few inches away from the double door, Yuuri took a deep breath again whilst his thumb was playing with the gold band that permanently perched on his ring finger. He thought of Viktor, of his memories of him, his love and life with him by Yuuri’s side. Tears were pricking in the corner of his eyes. Yuuri wanted to go _home_.

He pushed the door open, biting his bottom lip as hard as possible Yuuri would not be surprised if it bled. As soon as his eyes greeted the sight, he took a step back reflexively. A group of students—some wore jerseys and some were still in their usual uniform—and a few teachers were lying on the gym floor with their eyes closed. Bodies stayed still as the song enveloped them like dagger disguised as flowers. Yuuri’s mouth went agape as the worst thought popped into his mind. His green eyes flickered in fear and helplessness.

“Oh, please do not worry. They are not dead. Yet, at least.”

Yuuri was too busy roaming his eyes around the scattered bodies to observe his enemies that were standing in the middle. All of them were foreigners, but not Russians by the looks of it. The owner of the husky voice that greeted him in English earlier looked like a middle-aged man in an obviously expensive suit, with his hair pushed back completely; gray hair appeared on the sideburns. There were traces of youth and good looks on his face but overshadowed by a few age lines. The tone the man was using earlier was not cold, but certainly not warm either. If Yuuri should categorize it, it was either bored or just lazy.

On both ears there were strange metal devices placed firmly with a hook that disappeared behind the earlobes; their shapes were like earphones, only thinner. Yuuri was sure the function was either to block the siren song completely or to nullify the effect.

Next to his left was a man with a much bigger build; his solid muscles were very visible even through the suit. His face was stone cold with a harsh and unforgiving gaze. His hair was a modern undercut with a long curly fringe that almost covered his right eye. Two or three piercings lined up on his earlobes, giving off dangerous vibes. Yuuri also spotted the same devices the middle-aged man wore on the second guy’s ears. Around the man’s shoulders and down to his chest was a scarf made of the pelt, suspiciously that of a wolf—colors of white, black, and gray were put together into a majestic combination.

Meanwhile, on the far right was a man who looked almost as young as Viktor. His hair was slightly curly with an undercut; mustard yellow spread from the top of his head to the end of each strand. His eyes a fresh celery green with a little splash of yellow, framed with long eyelashes. He had stubble beard which didn’t really match with his pretty face. But, what caught Yuuri’s attention the most was a black choker around his neck; a bar of metal device with flickering small red light was right in the middle of the fabric strip. It was obvious that the man was the siren since his lips kept mouthing the song, sending everyone besides the other Exquire members to a deep sleep.

The man in the middle raised his hand; leather glove was shiny under the lighting. Only then did the male siren stop singing. Yuuri used this as a cue to come forward, carefully avoiding the bodies all the way to the three Exquire members. As soon as he was close enough, Yuuri could see that all of them were trying not to meet his eyes.

“Ah, firstly, I am deeply sorry to have resorted to this method. But, please understand since my friend here,” he gestured to the muscleman, “has a bad temper, and you are not easy to find. I am a bit worried he would destroy the school just to find you.” The man smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes, more like the smile salary men often gave to their business partners. “At least, hiding bodies is much easier than hiding destroyed building, don’t we agree, Mr. Plisetsky?”

There was a real threat under the question, and Yuuri could sense the overflowing confidence that the plan would work. That meant they had had a thorough investigation on Yuri and took the teenager’s personality into account when planning all of this. Yuuri tightened his fist as adrenaline ran high. He should act more like Yuri or they would notice. No, he couldn’t let it fail.

“Release them, you son of a bitch! Fucking coward!” He shouted, not forgetting to put on Yuri’s classic angry expression.

“Foul mouth would only make your pretty face go to waste, Mr. Plisetsky.” The middle-aged man chuckled, clearly amused as he took the devices off his ears and put them into his breast pocket. Ignoring Yuuri’s loud tsk, he stepped over a body of student and was on his way to walk around Yuuri, probably to get a better look.

_So, they don’t block the sound completely,_ Yuuri started to think the function of the ear devices was only to filter the siren song. It was highly possible they were connected to the one on the siren’s neck.

“But, like I said, please do not worry. We will release them once you _willingly_ come with us,” The man continued; his tone light as if he was only talking about the weather.

“No! I bet my ass you’re gonna cheat, cunning bastard! I wanna see you leave them alone with my own fucking eyes, you hear me?!” When the middle-aged man disappeared from sight, Yuuri shifted his gaze to the other two Exquire members. The muscleman was letting out a low growl, glaring down menacingly at him. On the other hand, the siren looked like a child who just got reprimanded, with his downcast eyes and finger fiddling.

“Loud and clear! Very well then,” The middle-aged man returned to his line of sight, presenting a condescending sneer. “As you wish, Mr. Plisetsky.” There was some kind of steam from the middle-aged man’s body. Yuuri thought he was only imagining it, but as if on cue, the other two Exquire members moved aside to give space; it started as thin fumes but then, it rapidly grew thicker until the man disappeared behind it.

His shadow was vaguely moving, Yuuri tried to focus on it but the heat got to him he had to protect his face behind his arms. Bat-like wings suddenly appeared from between the fumes, flapping with enough force to get rid of the steam and show a giant winged lion, walking with ease and confidence. A line of sharp, shark-like teeth came to sight as it growled just like a king announcing its arrival. The golden mane on its head was like a king’s robes, falling like water to the lion’s chest and back where the seemingly weak wings consisted of bones and skin connected. On its back, the tail was not that of a lion, but a scorpion’s, complete with the stinger; venom painted in shiny dark purple kept dripping from its end.

Before Yuuri had the chance to react, the lion—the _manticore_ swung its tail in under a second and stabbed Yuuri in the stomach. The effect was fast, as soon as the manticore retreated its tail, Yuuri fell to the floor—immobilized.

The muscleman moved to his side, rolling him over before lifting and throwing him over the shoulder. He then proceeded to walk ahead, followed by the fidgeting siren who made a small run to catch up. The manticore let out fumes again to cover its body before changing back to the form of a middle-aged man. He fixed his suit before walking fast to the muscleman’s side, catching Yuuri’s glare and returning the malice with a gentleman’s smile.

“Now, you can _see_ us leaving as much as you like, Mr. Plisetsky.”

 

 

 


End file.
